The Best Kind Of Intolerance
by WordsAblaze
Summary: Jace shows his jealousy in a weird way, ends up being extremely impolite to Magnus, and gets his rudeness beautifully, brutally shot down by Alec… Malec as prompted by a lovely soul on tumblr! Enjoy!


_This was prompted on tumblr, so blame that site... Just kidding, I love it. Oh, um, maybe don't read if you REALLY love Jace... This isn't very Jace-loving... Also, I've been listening to 'Open Up Your Eyes' on repeat and it kind of bled into the fic, sorry!_

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 **The Best Kind Of Intolerance**

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Warlocks are known to be busy but Magnus always makes sure to keep time aside for his loved ones.

The time with his clients, the time with his friends and associates, and the time with those who he deeply cares for is usually kept distinctly separate. Every second of his time is kept aside for separate people with no room for overlap, confusion, or bias. Which is why he's not expecting a shadowhunter to be at his door when he's set aside the day for catching up with clients he'd had to miss for various reasons.

"Jace." Magnus leaves his tone neutral, slightly confused by the look of ire in the blond's eyes.

"Magnus." If his tone was any harder, it could have shattered a diamond. "We need to talk."

His eyebrows arch before he can control his surprise, having expected a range of things, none of which were even remotely similar to that rather threatening declaration.

"As much as I appreciate our intermittent conversations, I have my clients-"

"And I am one of those clients. Right now. I've booked you for the next hour and a half."

"Alright." Magnus has to accept that he can't deny Jace, not if he's here as a client, even if he would prefer if the shadowhunter didn't interrupt the time specifically reserved for those who really need his assistance. "What do you need?"

"You."

"Sorry?" Magnus blinks.

Before he can blink a second time, Jace has moved too uncomfortably far into his personal space and there's a burning glare aimed at him.

"Have I done something?" Magnus blinks, resisting the urge to throw Jace across the room.

"No," Jace replies, "you haven't done anything wrong, per se."

"Then why are you attempting to threaten me?"

Jace laughs. "Because you're wrong. Everything about you is wrong. You couldn't possibly be any more wrong." His voice rises to a growl and Magnus bad never been so confused at the words of a Shadowhunter. And he's met the likes of William Herondale, so that's saying something.

He's also slightly offended but it's not like the rudimental insults are anything new.

"Care to elaborate?" Magnus raises an eyebrow.

Jace steps back and laughs, but it's one full of malice rather than mirth. It's an expression that seems alien on the golden boy's face, but it seems to merge with his common confidence so well that Magnus can't bring himself to recall a time when Jace wasn't glaring at him as if he were worse than Valentine and Sebastian combined. "You're not getting the point, are you, warlock?"

"Did you simply forget my name?" Magnus, once again, resists any urge he has to curse the Shadowhunter. "Would you like a remedy to selective amnesia?"

The irritation in Jace's eyes would be comical were it not aimed at him. "I can't see why Alec puts up with you."

Magnus bristles. He knows that Alec loves him - he never stops saying it, for stars' sake - but he also knows that Alec used to admire the Shadowhunter in front of him and it's possible the two of them had shared something about him. But, he argues with himself, Jace's statement seems to suggest Alec has expressed his like for Magnus... doesn't it? Surely Alec still loves him, right? Right?

"You aren't getting the point, warlock." This time, he almost spits the word, throwing it as Magnus as if it can cause grievous bodily harm.

"And what, pray tell, is your point?"

Jace smirks. "My point, warlock, is that our lives were better off without you."

Magnus steps back. It's always been a fear of his to hurt those he helps and he hates the thought of even being a small inconvenience, never mind ruining someone's life. He absolutely despises the idea of someone wishing they'd never met him and he doesn't know if the other man can tell the statement he'd so carelessly thrown at Magnus has shattered his self-esteem. He hopes, he prays to every force he can name, he wishes upon each individual star, that he hasn't truly hurt Alexander so badly he wants to rip Magnus right out of his life.

"The world would be better if you didn't exist," Jace concludes.

Magnus wants to say it hadn't affected him - that he was just as indifferent as always to the whims of Shadowhunters - but he can't bring himself to lie to his heart again. He just can't. He's frozen and his blood has stopped, stilled, slowly frozen until he can't hear his heart because the sound of his self-hatred is so loud, it drowns out life itself. The room he's standing in doesn't exist anymore because Jace's words have triggered his cycle of self-destruction and there's nothing he can do to stop it because he can't breathe and there's nothing left for him if even the one his soul had felt a connection with now hates him. He's lost and he's hopeless and he can't think and he just wants to forget but he can't function and he dimly feels his lungs screaming at him but-

"ENOUGH!" Alec interrupts, except the word is essentially a roar, loud and angry and defensive and laced with accusation.

There's a moment of clarity in his panic and his gaze meets Alec's, the love in those beautiful eyes lulling the frantic spiral of his anxiety into nothing more than a small fountain kept only for decoration and as a reminder that the worst has passed and better days are ahead. Then that moment turns into a second that turns into a minute that turns into his new, calmer state of mind and reminds him just how much he absolutely cherishes the love he shares with his Shadowhunter.

"I'm not wrong, Alec!"

"You've never been more wrong!" Alec hisses, finally deeming it acceptable to look away and move to stand directly in front of Magnus, his right hand lacing with Magnus' right hand even as he keeps his eyes on Jace. Magnus can imagine the fury written on Alec's angelic features.

"You're blinded by his magic, Alec. He's caused nothing but trouble for us." Jace glares at Magnus but Alec isn't having it, once again rearranging himself so he's directly between Magnus and Jace, a shield made of anger and love and absolute disbelief.

"If you're not possessed or something, I am going to disown you," Alec says through gritted teeth, his hand squeezing Magnus' in an apology he shouldn't have to give.

Jace laughs. "You love me, Alec, you're not going to disagree with me or disown me."

Magnus tenses, knowing that there is a bond between the two of them that Magnus can never match, and Alec must feel his doubt because he turns around, almost dismissing Jace, and plants a small kiss on Magnus' forehead before resuming the glare to his parabatai. It's over before Magnus feels it begin but he doesn't care because it's just as reassuring as their usual exchange of love. It's comforting and it's everything Magnus could ever ask for, and the best part is, it only needs to last a second to make him happy.

"Jace. You need to leave. Right now."

"Oh, come on! He's just another warlock, and he's not even that great! Anyone could do what he does, and for a far better price-"

"And what has he ever charged you?" Alec fires, his jaw clenching and unclenching every two seconds.

Jace rolls his eyes. "My parabatai."

Alec an Magnus both raise an eyebrow at that, the former clearing his throat. "How exactly have you lost me?"

"You care about the warlock more than your actual brother!" Jace replies, shaking with anger. "You barely talk to me and you fight with him instead of covering me! You're not the same anymore and it's all his fault!"

There's a moment of silence before Alec just shakes his head. "Whatever respect I had left of you is gone, Jace. How can you even say something like that?"

Magnus gently rubs the back of Alec's hand and Alec takes a deep breath, finding the resolve to carry on. "You don't own me, Jace. I am your parabatai but I am not only your parabatai. I belong to Izzy as much as I belong to you, and I belong to Magnus even more. I choose who gets to keep me and you have no say in who I choose.

"If you keep insulting my boyfriend, the best warlock we've ever known, I swear by the angel I will erase my parabatai rune and cut you out of our lives... our life."

"You wouldn't." Jace's face has lost its anger, now pale and worried, full of dread and belated realisation.

Alec steps back so he's in line with Magnus - as an equal - and raises his eyebrow. "For someone who makes me happier than I knew possible, there's nothing I wouldn't put myself through."

Magnus could swear his heart, encased in years of heartbroken iced walls, melts.

"Jace, If you've paid any attention to me at all, you know I won't tolerate anyone insulting those I love. Especially not Magnus."

Meekly, Jace nods. He's angry but he can't deny that without digging a deeper hole for himself. Magnus would feel bad for him but he's too busy staring- no, gazing at his boyfriend with what are probably the most noticeable heart-eyes in the history of heart-eyes. He's not even ashamed, he could never be ashamed for loving Alexander.

"So if you want to keep all of your unreasonably selfish limbs, I suggest you leave. Now." Even though his voice is colder than an icicle with frostbite, Alec's glare could probably burn through the sun itself.

Jace, fuming but without anything left to say, silently glowers and turns on his heel, bitterly matching out of the apartment, the door slamming behind him as officially as the seal of an envelope.

As soon as he's gone, Alec turns to Magnus and kisses him. Magnus gasps and the kiss is short because he wasn't expecting it and forgets how to breathe, but it's soft and gentle and full of warmth, a silent apology and a reminder that their love is mutual. It's fleeting but it's enough to let Magnus know Alec doesn't agree with Jace and that's all he needs.

"Magnus, look at me, please?" Alec's voice is so different, so gentle, so full of awe and velvet concern. Magnus can't help looking to him.

"I love you," Alec murmurs, resting his forehead on Magnus'.

From so close, Magnus can see the barely visible layer of sweat on his forehead and the faint crease in his forehead from frowning so heavily in such a short period of time. And Magnus falls in love a little bit more. As Alec mutters about Jace under his breath, he watches the way Alec's eyes flicker and his jaw tightens so much it would probably hurt were he not so distracted by his rage.

"Alexander, darling, it's alright."

He goes quiet for a second. "No, Mags, it's not. He has no right to say that to you."

"I've heard worse, sweet pea," Magnus gently reminds him, but his heart is swelling with joy and adoration.

Alec's entire being freezes for a second and his expressions softens like melting ice cream but he still shakes his head. "I might not be able to change your past for you but I will do everything in my power to keep our present full of kindness and happiness, even if that means sacrificing some of my own past."

Magnus, even though his head is filled with words, phrases, and slangs from centuries of societies, has no words to match Alec's beautiful promise. Instead of saying anything, he smiles. He smiles and wraps his arms around Alec, completely forgetting about Jace and anything malicious anyone has ever said to him, engulfed by the protective, fierce love he's being given.

He can't express what he wants to say in words so he doesn't use them, simply holding onto Alec until the two of them may as well be one, the two of them so close that there's no telling where one begins and the other ends. Magnus can feel Alec's shoulders pressing forwards and Alec's palms clenched in the fabric of his shirt, his knuckles comfortably digging into Magnus' back. He can feel Alec's knees and their hips are practically glued together and he's never, ever felt so safe in his life. He's never felt so at peace, so calm and consoled, so at home.

"You have about an hour before your next client right?" Alec murmurs softly. When Magnus nods silently, Alec smiles and his voice is kind, full of love, but assertive when he says, "Then you have about an hour before I make you cancel your next client and take you somewhere special to show you how much I love you."

If he can be certain of nothing else, he can be certain love exists, and that what he has with his Shadowhunter is most certainly love.

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